For Toni, it was a bittersweet journey. She was driving her oldest daughter Melissa to college. Melissa had selected a college in the Deep South that specialized in pediatric nursing. That was what she wanted to be. Toni decided she would drive her from their home in the Midwest. This would give her time to say goodbye to her daughter.
The trip would take five days. Two days to drive down, with one day staying over, and then two days back. Toni's husband Don stayed home to care for their other children.
One the second day, Toni and Melissa got off the highway because of a detour. It was late and they really needed to find a place to stay. They followed the signs, hoping to get back on the highway soon, but the detour seemed to be quite long.
Toni was a bit nervous driving on the backcountry roads at night, and was relieved when she saw a large lit sign of a diner up ahead. She decided to pull in and get a cup of coffee and directions back to the highway.
As they sat in the diner, Toni noticed a police car pull up. A large fat sheriff got out and walked into the diner. Toni smiled because he seemed to stereotypical. He came in and sat next to Toni and her daughter. Toni introduced herself and asked directions. The sheriff smiled and said he would show them the way back to the highway after he'd eaten his pie. Toni was pleased and felt better.
She shouldn't have.
Sheriff Buford Brown was a corrupt and horrible man. He used his position for two things, to make money and to abuse prisoners. He was the law in this county. His brother was the judge, and his cousin the only lawyer for miles. It was a sweet arrangement.
Sheriff Brown finished his pie and then got into his car. He told the ladies to follow him and they did. They soon approached a small town. Brown pulled up and parked in front a building and Toni parked next to him. He got out and informed the ladies they should come inside. He had one thing he needed to do before he showed them back to the highway.
Brown told the ladies to have a seat and he would be right back with him. The only other person in the office was a large nasty looking woman in deputies uniform. Toni nodded at her daughter as Brown and the woman talked. The woman walked past them towards the front door.
Toni began to get a bit impatient and was about to get up and go talk to Brown when the large woman reappeared. She was carrying a small bad and took handed it to Brown. He got a very disapproving face as he walked toward Toni and Melissa.
"Where you all from?" He asked in a heavy southern accent.
"We're from Minneapolis." Replied Toni.
"Where you all headed?" He asked again.
"Atlanta. My daughter is attending school there. Is there a problem?" Asked Toni.
"Well hell yeah there is." He replied lifting the bag that the deputy had handed him and holding it in front of Toni.
"What the hell is this? Is this drugs?" He asked.
Toni sat there shocked for a second and then looked at her daughter who had the same shocked look.
"My deputy found this in your car, in plain sight. You want to explain this?" He asked.
Toni again looked at her daughter. Her daughter nodded no.
"That isn't mine and that doesn't belong to my daughter. I don't know here it came from." Said Toni.
"Well I suspect when we test this, we'll find out what the hell it is. But for now, I think we need to separate you two and get to the bottom of this." Said Brown.
The deputy quickly moved behind Melissa and grabbed her from behind, lifting her out of the chair. She screamed as the deputy twisted her arm behind her back. Toni screamed for her to stop, but was herself grabbed by the sheriff. Melissa was dragged away as Toni was pushed against the wall and handcuffed.
"We don't take too kindly to you northerners coming down here peddling your drugs. You in a heap of trouble lady." Said Brown.
"It's not mine. It's not mine." Toni repeated as she tried to see where her daughter had been taken.
Toni was drug into a small room and pushed in a chair. The sheriff sat on the table in front of her, his big gut extended over his belt as he leaned forward.
"You better come clean missy. It's better for you and better for your little girl." Said Brown.
"I told you, it's not mine. It's not my daughters. We need to talk to a lawyer." Said Toni.
"Ain't no lawyer around but my brother. And he's sleeping right now. You just tell me what you know and we'll see what we can do." Said Brown.
Toni thought and thought. She knew the drugs weren't hers. Were they her daughters? She hoped they weren't.
"Please I need to make a phone call." Asked Toni.
"No call." Replied Brown.
"Please, where is my daughter? I need to see her." Asked Toni.
"Well missy, right now your daughter is being interrogated by my deputy Maggie. Right now she's probably checking her out to see if she has more drugs on her." Said the smiling Brown
"What do you mean?" Asked Toni.
"I mean, right now, you little girl is probably being searched. And to search her proper she's got to be naked!" Said Brown.
"Please don't do that! Please let me see her!" Pleased Toni.
"Oh sure. You can see her. Just she can't see you. You really want to see your little girl?" Asked Brown.
"Yes, please!" Begged Toni.
Brown got up and walked over to a window that was completely dark. He reached over and flipped a switch. The window suddenly illuminated and she could see her daughter in a room with the large female deputy. She was pushed up against the wall and a nightstick was pushed under her chin. Her hands handcuffed behind her back.
"Stop her!" Toni screamed.
"Stop her? Why the hell should I? You two were carrying drugs through my town. You two are in a serious heap of trouble. Your little girl is going to get stripped and then searched. And then the same is going to happen to you." Said the smiling Brown.
Toni watched as the deputy ran her hands over Melissa's body, squeezing her breasts and smiling as she did it. Melissa struggled, but with her hands handcuffed behind her, the huge woman could do what she wanted to her.
"Oh man, how I love a good strip search." Said the smiling Brown as he turned towards Toni and rubbed his crotch. Toni was shocked at what was happening.